Chicken bald back

[PixieDust]

Countdown to the Girls has begun. Sooooooooo excited but still got 3 days of work to do for my course. We got a 2 day extension and it was my brother's birthday so we had a bit of a party yesterday. However, back on with the work today.

 

OK, we are having a weed supressing membrane and sharp sand on top on the WIR floor. Can I confirm I will still need mixed grit for the Girls?

 

OH has left doing this floor late. Sily moo. It's going to be wet all week too.

 

Will be going to order the pellets tomorrow and will pick them up on Wednesday or Thursday.

 

[mullethunter]

Very exciting PixieDust!

 

Mine seem to mostly eat the sand out of their dust bath even though they have grit available, but to be honest as its so cheap I'd provide them with grit so they have the choice.

[gavclojak]

Ditto, I think if it's there and they need it then they will use it. I would rather have it than not.

[PixieDust]

Ok thank you. I have ordered some from Omlet along with some mini trugs. I thought I could use one for grit and use 2 for food and water when they stay in the coop the day they come home. I gather that is what people suggest; putting them in the coop when we get home and leaving them there with a little food and water til the morning?

 

I hope the creosote is not smelly for them. The coop will have been treated 3 week previous to them arriving and the roof and nest box roof have been left open.

 

Hope I haven't forgotten anything.

 

Hoping the sand will work out. We are on heavy clay on a low lying land so the land round here is a bit like a quagmire already with only a little rain. Oh well we shall see in due course.

[gavclojak]

I would put them in the coop with the door open and if they feel confident enough they will come out. If they do I would just let them work at their own pace.

I use budgie cage food pots for the grit too.

[Beantree]

We put grit in with the feed, which isn't ideal. A separate pot is better. Ours is mixed grit but I have heard just flint is better, because they don't need any more Calcium than is in the feed. We have Oyster shell grit but stopped using it on advice because of too much Calcium intake, which I have read recently can cause a Phosphorous/ Calcium imbalance and actually lead to thin shelled eggs. We also used to bake egg shells and add them to the feed, but that is a definite no! If they were on a grain only diet perhaps it would be a good idea, but not when on layers pellets formulated to be a complete diet requiring no additions.

[PixieDust]

Ok thank you for that Beantree. I will just leave out a small bowl of grit for them. Rather excited now. They arrive tomorrow